Getting Started

So you've seen a few episodes of 'The Joy of Painting' with Bob Ross and now you want to
try out this wonderful technique and paint some beautiful landscapes with just a few strokes of the
old Two Inch Brush. But can it really be just as easy as Bob makes it seem?

Yes it can!

Here is how to get started:

Step 1: The Grandeur of Summer

If you have never done this style of painting before we suggest you watch the 'Joy of
Painting' special 'The Grandeur of Summer' even before buying your equipment. It's one hour long and
Bob introduces you to all the
equipment and also shows you how to prepare a blank canvas with Liquid White before starting to
paint. With almost twice as long as a normal episode this one is a fantastic starting point because
really goes into details on all the different techniques and explains them very well to
beginners.

Step 2: Gearing up

After you have watched 'The Grandeur of Summer' it is time to get your equipment.
If you want to get all the basic tools and colors at once we can strongly
suggest getting the official
Bob Ross Master Paint Set. The Master Paint Set is a wonderful Bob Ross starter set and contains oil colors, a landscape knife, a
landscape brush, a background brush, a fan brush, a script liner, and a thirty minute "Bob Ross,
Getting Started" DVD. Now all you need to start painting is a little bit of paint thinner and some canvases.
You can also head over to our Tools & Colors section and look for alternatives
to the licensed Bob Ross products.

Step 3: Happy Painting

Once you have all your equipment you're ready to put on some old clothes, take a few
hours of time and watch 'The Grandeur of Summer' once more, painting along with Bob, pausing and
rewinding as needed.
Once your done we would be very happy if you would send us your master piece on Twitter.

Step 4: Any Questions?

Didn't get the snow on the mountains to break like Bob does? Insted of putting
highlights on trees you're just mud mixing?
You're not the only beginner who has problems with these things, so Bob did a few Q&A
episodes where
he tries to answer questions from viewers and goes into more detail describing these techniques.

You can also find some tips on how to improve your paintings on our blog.